1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of safety mechanisms for releasably restraining the firing pin of a firearm and more particularly to a novel such mechanism that is operated by a grip lever pivotally carried on the handgrip of a pistol and connected to a firing pin blocking sear by means of a pivotal linkage and slide bar arrangement.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to provide a releasable safety mechanism for selectively restraining the firing pin of a firearm in a locked position so that inadvertant firing of the firearm cannot take place. Generally, such a safety mechanism includes an element called a sear which moves in and out of a blocking relationship with respect to the firing pin, and the positioning of the sear is usually accomplished by means of a manually slidable or rotatable member carried on the body of the firearm and which incorporates a tab or lug which alternately engages or disengages with the firing pin when manually moved. In this connection, the safety latch or catch is moved usually with the user's thumb whether or not the user's hand is engaged on the pistol in a proper firing position or not. Also, the firearm, such as a pistol, may be in an exposed position with the safety catch in its off condition so that the gun may be inadvertently discharged while the owner of the gun is in the mistaken belief that the safety catch is on.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide an additional safety feature on a firearm which may be employed in addition to the usual safety catch referred to above but which will operate only when the gun is in the user's hand and preparatory to commencement of firing by the user. Such a device should be coordinated with the hand of the user holding the firearm and should not require separate actuation of safety catches or mechanisms.